1. Field of Invention
The present invention generally relates to a fireplace grate, and more particularly, to a fireplace grate designed for safety to protect a firelog, such as, for example, a gel log, from being crushed by wood or ceramic logs, or from falling through the traditional fireplace grate.
2. State of the Current Art
Within the past twenty years, firelogs, such as, for example, Duraflame® (Stockton, Calif.), have been introduced for use in home fireplaces. The firelogs were intended to be used in place of wood. However, some homeowners use both firelogs and wood or ceramic logs together in a fireplace, despite explicit instructions by the manufacturers written on the firelog packaging not to burn both at the same time.
Firelogs are made from a combination of sawdust and blended wax. As a firelog reaches the end of its burning capacity, it begins to fall apart, creating a flare-up of the chemicals and materials of which it is composed. Also, natural firewood has a tendency to pop. This burst of air could cause a firelog to break apart and flare-up. When a flare-up occures, flames can consume the fireplace and block the flue. Smoke would not be able to exit the fireplace by the chimney and would begin to pour out the front of the fireplace. Therefore, burning both the firelog and wood logs together potentially causes a safety hazard for the homeowner.
Current designs of fireplace grates have not kept up with the introduction of the new firelog into the market. For example, current fireplace grates are not designed to support a firelog or protect the firelog from being crushed. For example, the spacing of the metal rods on the traditional grate is too far apart to support the gel log. Some manufacturers of firelogs state on their wrappers that the firelogs should be supported by at least four grate bars. With this support, as the firelog burns, it loses rigidity and falls apart, causing flare-up.
Most fireplace grates are also too low to the ground to allow the firelog to fit under the grate, putting distance between the firelog and wood logs. As a result, the firelogs are damaged, causing it to break open and flare up. This can occur when a wood log leans against or falls on the firelog while it is burning.
In addition, when wood logs are placed around and on top of the firelog, heat is trapped and the firelog is smothered, causing an unsafe condition that could melt the firelog. Further, homeowners have a tendency to poke at the wood logs with fireplace tools. These fireplace tools can easily break apart a burning firelog and current fireplace grates do not protect firelogs from these tools. Both of these conditions can cause a hazardous fire condition within the home.
Therefore, there is a need for a fireplace grate designed with safety considerations to support the burning firelog in such a way that it will not fall through the grate. The grate should also be designed to protect the firelog from being crushed by wood or ceramic logs. Finally, the grate should be designed to allow efficient airflow to the firelog and wood logs and reduce heat build-up around the firelog.